His legacy to making one of the all time great movies The Body Snatchers made at the time, during the early 1950s was an attack on communism with the anti communist feeling so strong in the USA will never be forgotten.
It is still a watchable film even today despite its dated look.
Just saw this, very sad, although he did live to a good age of 96! He did a cameo in the first Body Snatchers 1978 remake with Donald Sutherland/Jeff Goldblum/Leonard Nimoy where he runs like a madman into the street shouting "they're here" or similar and gets knocked down by Sutherland (health inspector)'s car.